Curtin Malaysia hosting inaugural Peat Fire Conference and Peat Fire Run

Miri – 3 March 2020 – Peat fires are an almost perennial occurrence in the northern outskirts of Miri city with the coming of the dry season each year, the resultant smoke and hazy conditions affecting the health of local residents and the safety of road users, among other effects.

Being within or near the fire-prone areas, the community of over 4,000 staff and students at Curtin University Malaysia (Curtin Malaysia), as well as residents in the surrounding Senadin and Permyjaya areas, have continued to experience the brunt of the fires through the years.

With the aim of raising awareness of peat fires and how they may be reduced, the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and Curtin Highway Infrastructure Research and Innovation (CHIRI) hub at Curtin Malaysia’s Faculty of Engineering and Science, in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Operating Officer and the Curtin Civil Society, the campus’ society for civil and construction engineering students, are organising the ‘1^st Borneo Peat Fire Conference’ this 28 March 2020.

Representatives from various organisations involved in peat fire prevention and suppression in Miri such as the Natural Resources and Environment Board Sarawak (NREB), Department of Environment (DoE) and Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia have been invited to participate and share their experiences and roles at the conference to be held at the Curtin Malaysia campus. Academics and students of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and members of the Curtin Civil Society will also be involved.

It is hoped that through the discussions and sharing, a greater awareness of the importance of minimising the hazards and effects of peat fires will be created and novel ways of preventing and suppressing the fires can be found. Participation in the conference is free-of-charge.

To create further awareness, the conference will be followed by the ‘1^st Borneo Peat Fire Run’ at the campus on 29 March 2020 which is open to all Curtin Malaysia staff and students and members of the public.

It will feature two categories, namely a 3-kilometre family run and a 7-kilometre run with participation fees of RM50 and RM60, respectively. However, those interested to participate are encouraged to take advantage of the early bird fees of RM45 (3 km) and RM55 (7 km) if they register before 6 March 2020. All fees are inclusive of an event T-shirt and the first to third-placed winners in the 7-kilometre run stand to win cash prizes of RM200, RM120 and RM80 respectively.

The run will be held near the location of the peat fires that occurred adjacent to the Curtin Malaysia campus in April last year. Participants will be able to view how the fires scarred the landscape but also how parts have rejuvenated into lush green vegetation since then.

More information on both the 1^st Borneo Peat Fire Conference and 1^st Borneo Peat Fire Run can be found at https://borneopeatfire.curtin.edu.my/. Registration forms for both events can also be found on the webpage. In addition, booths will be opened at Bintang Megamall on 6 and 7 March 2020 from 1pm to 5pm for registration and promoting the peat fire conference and peat fire run.

Curtin Malaysia’s Chief Operating Officer, Ir. Pieter Willem Pottas, remarked that, having experienced several extensive peat fires in its vicinity in recent years, including two last year that caused temporary shutdowns of the campus in consideration of the health and safety of its campus community, it is timely for Curtin Malaysia to have such a conference and engage with other stakeholders in addressing the issue.

Pottas added that long-term solutions need to be found to prevent peat fires or at least minimise their effects. He said that, as a university that advocates a greener environment, teaches environmental and civil engineering and is engaged in environmental research, Curtin Malaysia is well positioned to offer viable ideas and solutions.

Meanwhile, Head of the Department of Civil and Construction Engineering, Professor Muhammad Ekhlasur Rahman, said peat fires can have an adverse effect on the environment as tonnes of organic materials that support carbon storage are burned into carbon dioxide which can be toxic.

He said the Borneo Peat Fire Conference will see the active participation of staff and students of Curtin Malaysia’s Department of Civil and Construction Engineering and Department of Environmental Engineering, as well as the Curtin Civil Society and other related areas.

Students in the four-year Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Civil and Construction Engineering and Bachelor of Engineering (Hons.) in Environmental Engineering courses will find it particularly interesting and useful.

The former is a comprehensive combination of civil engineering and construction engineering highly prized by graduates and respected by professional engineers, and the latter a professional and practically-orientated course related to environmental issues that is becoming increasingly popular at Curtin Malaysia.

1st Borneo Peat Fire Conference to be held at Curtin Malaysia on 28 March.